Extracting oil



J. W. EVANS.-

Patent-ed'Deo. 30,'- 1800.

IWI/@Mar W@ 5/2/W- I (No Model.)

' EXT'RAGTING OIL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOlIN W. EVANS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

EXTRACTING OIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,907, dated December 30, 1890.

Application filed May 5, 1890. Serial No. 350,603. (No specimens) T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN lV. EVANS, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in what is known as the Naphtha Process of Extracting Oil; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

Hy invention relates to improvements in what is known as the naphtha process of extracting oil. In extracting oil by the naphtha process-for instance, from linseed-the seed is ground and placed in a percolator, and the latter is then charged with hot naphtha as a solvent. After a time the united oil and naphtha is drawn off at the bottom of the percolator, or at least so much of the mixture is drawn oli' as will separate itself from the meal by gravity. There will still remain in the meal more or less naphtha and a small percentage of oil, the former being distributed throughout the mass of meal, while the remaining oil will be distributed in the lower portion of the meal near the bottom of the percolator. The discharge-pipe at the bottom of the percolator is then closed and the eduction vapor-pipes are opened and live steam is introduced into the meal in the percolator to evaporate the remaining naphtha, the naphtha vapor being conducted to a condenser, from whence the liquid naphtha is returned to its tank to be again used for extracting the oil from the next batch of meal. A suitable Dercolator for carrying out this process is shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 381,062, granted to me April l0, i888. and to which reference is hereby made, and for convenience for reference in this specilication the percolator is outlined in the accompanying drawing, the same being an elevation in section through the center of the percolator.

A represents the percolator, and B a pipe connecting with the bottom of the percolator for drawing off the united oil and naph tha.

C C are eduction vapor-pipes.

D is a steam-pipe encircling the percolator and from which extend smaller branch pipes d, connecting, respectively, with the different hollow perforated arms arranged inside the VC are closed. After the meal and hot naphtha with which the percolator is charged has remained for a suitable length of time valve b of pipe B is opened to draw o the mixed oil and naphtha, and after this has been accomplished, so far as gravity will effect such separation of the oil and solvent from the meal, valve b is closed. Next the valves of pipes C are opened and live steam Vfrom pipe D is admitted through pipe d to the hollow arm to evaporize the naphtha remaining in the meal.

Heretofore steam was iirst admitted to the upper series of arms E, by means of which the naphtha from the upper portion of the meal was readily evaporated, the naphtha vapor passing off through pipe C to a condenser. (Not shown.) Afteratime the steam was shut off from arms E and was introduced into arms E. The naphtha from the central portion of the meal is evaporated and expelled more slowly, owing to the depth of material above that has been rendered more compact by the previous steaming. Eventually the steam was shut off from arms E and admitted into the lower arms E2 to evaporate the naphtha from the meal at or near the bottom of the percolator. This last stage was much more difficult and tedious, owing to the great depth of material above and owing to the fact that the upper portion of the meal had been rendered compact and clammy by previous steaming. Hence it was necessary to employ a higher pressure of steam for evaporizing the naphtha and expeiling the vapors thereof from the lower portion of the meal. Another objectionable feature was that the residue of oil in the lower portion of meal was carried up with the naph- ICO l price per pound of meal.

tha vapor and distributed beyond recovery throughout the whole mass of the meal.

To more clearly detine my improved method hereinafter mentioned, I will remark that the linseed-meal had from the naphtha process is considered a valuable food for animals, more especially as the albumen ot' the seed is left entirely in the meal, and hence the oil is pure, as the albumen it left in the oil is an impurity and has to'be subsequently removed by some process of refining to produce agood quality ot. oil; also, any oil left in the meal not only deteriorates the latter, but the purchaser in buying meal by the pound does not care to pay for what is worse than useless in the meal-to wit7 the remainingr oil-and the manufacturer does not wish to sell oil at the It is therefore important from both standpoints that as far as possible the highest per cent. of oil be extracted from the meal- In carrying out my improved method I provide an eduction vapor-pipe leading from the bottom of the percolator, such pipe being shown at C. This pipe is more conveniently attached to pipe U as a branch ot the latter, pipe C being provided with a valve c. This is the only addition that I make, and otherwise the percolator is lel't in the same condi tion as heretofore. 0f: course another eon denser is provided l'or condensing' the naphtha vapors escaping through pipe C. Nowin steaming out the naphthasteam is admitted to the central arm E and immediately after to arms E and E2. The vapor fromdifferent portions ot' the percolator may therefore take the shortest and easiest route, whichever it may be, up or down, and the lower portion ol the meal in the percolator is freed from naphtha as expeditiously as the. upper portion, the steamin` out requiring less than half the time formerly required; also, the residue of oil that, as aforesaid, is found in the lower portion ot the meal is carried downward by the escaping naphtha vapor, and about all of it is thus saved, the oil passine otf in the naphtha vapor through pipe C and unitingwith thenaphthacondensed inthe lower'condenser, and no ett'ort at the time is made to recover this oil, from thc fact that the naphtha in this condenser is returned to its tank and is used over again in the next operation, and hence this oil is not lost.

To recapit'ulate: lVith myimproved method, whereby the naphtha vapor may escape simultaneously from the top and bottom of the percolator, first, a large percentage of oil is obtained, the absence ot which in the meal renders the latter more valuable, and also avoided the excessive cooking ot' the meal at the upper portion of the percolator and the consequent wet and claminy condition ot' this when removed from the percolator, and the steaming-out; process is accomplished in less than halt' the time formerly required.

ln conclusion I will state the facts that: the percolators that l am using have a capacity of eight hundred and twenty-tive bushels of meal, and with my improved method hereinbefore described I am enabled to savetwo barrels ot' oil tor each charge of a percolator more than I could save when operatingthe pereolators without the lower vapor-pipethat is to say, steamingy ont the naphtha with the escape ot' the naphtha vapors only at the top of the percolator.

lVhat l claim is- In what is known asthe naphtha process of extracting,r oil, the method herein described, consisting, essentially, of introducing steam into different portions ot' the percolator and simultaneously exhaustingthe naphtha vapor from the top and bottom ol' the percolator, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereot' I sign this specilieation, in the presence of two witnesses, this ltth day of April, 1890.

.'IOIIN lV. EVANS.

Witnesses:

(l. Il. Donne, WILL l. Sittin. 

